The Columbia Renegades Dance Team performed this week as part of the college’s first Festival of Dance Clubs, a new initiative aimed at bringing student dance showcases under one coordinated, weeklong program.
After weeks of rehearsal since the start of the spring semester, the team presented a series of choreographed routines reflecting a range of styles.
While the Renegades have hosted showcases in previous years, this is the first time their performance has been included in the festival, which centralizes events that were previously scheduled independently throughout the semester.
The festival was organized by the Dance Center in response to growing demand from student groups seeking performance space.
It showcased C2K, Columbia’s Renegades Dance Team and Mi Gente Latin Dance Team. The initiative offered a full week of dance this week and emphasized the art form on Columbia’s campus.
Meredith Sutton, artistic director of the Dance Presenting Series at the Dance Center, said the idea emerged from an increase in requests from student-run dance organizations to use the building for showcases
“We wanted to figure out a way to better support and welcome these dynamic groups into our space,” she told the Chronicle in an email. “It feels like the start of something we hope will continue to grow and evolve as an annual happening.”
Renegades Dance Team co-captain Emma Graveen, a junior music business major, joined the team her first year at Columbia and became a captain her sophomore year.
Graveen said the idea of having the festival for all of the dance clubs at Columbia is “so smart.”
She said that since they all try to have an end of the year showcase, that having it all together is not only “more easily marketed” but more “inclusive.”
“It made it 10 times easier, I feel very prepared and very excited,” said Graveen.
Renegades Dance Team co-captain Elaina Fletcher, a junior performing arts management major, said she also was excited to be a part of the festival for the first time.
“It’s really nice that they’re giving all the dance clubs an opportunity to perform on the stage, because usually it’s super booked with other performances and hard to get, so it was really nice to have the opportunity,” she said.
Fletcher also pointed out how the festival is beneficial for the student-run dance clubs because they get to display the variety of dance styles they all use.
“I think specifically it’s really nice that it’s a festival just for the dance clubs, obviously dance majors get opportunities to perform themselves, but this is really a good opportunity to highlight all the dance clubs,” she said.
The showcase marked a milestone for first-year film and television major Tallie Olmos, who is in her first semester with the team and contributed one of the featured choreographed pieces. Her work centered on the theme of friendship.
“It’s more storytelling, it’s about friendship and helping your friends and how people help you when you’re down, that was my first time choreographing too, so I’m gonna remember that.”
Her emphasis on storytelling and connection mirrors the festival’s broader purpose.
“It’s a vital form of expression, storytelling, and community building. It creates space for students to share their identities, perspectives, and lived experiences in ways that extend beyond the classroom,” Sutton said. “When dance is visible and celebrated, it fosters a more vibrant, inclusive campus culture, valuing creativity, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas.”
Copy edited by Samantha Mosquera
